Kapitel 18: How To Conquer A Princess?
Shido's earpiece buzzed and Kotori's voice rang out.
"Shido, you're pretty lucky." she talk with her tone mix of teasing and matter-of-fact.
"CR-Units weren't designed for indoor battles."
"Since Princess entered the school, it'll be hard for the AST to interfere."
"I know." Shido replied, his gaze fixed on the ruins of the school.
"Now, you need to do something." Kotori's voice grew firmer.
"All week, you didn't run away from the training, even though you complained nonstop.
"You want to save the Spirits, right?"
Shido's mind flickered back to his first encounter with Tohka, and the wave of loneliness he felt from her through Observation Haki hit him again.
It stung more than he wanted to admit. She didn't deserve a life of being hunted and driven into the end of the world.
'Did they want her to turn into 'Beast'?'
'I don't want her to make that face full of loneliness anymore.' he resolved himself.
He took a deep breath and spoke into the earpiece with surprising confidence.
"You don't have to worry too much, Kotori. Have a little faith in your big brother."
Hearing his casual but resolute tone, Kotori chuckled. "Heh, well then, show me what you're made of, Onii-chan~"
Shido smirked slightly as he stared at the school.
"Don't worry. I've got this. It's pretty simple after all."
"Yeah," Kotori quipped, a sly tone to her voice. "Talk to them, date them, and make them fall in love."
Shido set his foot on the path ahead. Each step toward the ruined school carried weight, but it also ignited his resolve.
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Fraxinus, Kotori on Commander Mode was seated on her chair. Monitoring Shido's movement on the screens, she addressed the entire bridge crew.
"Well, since you know what to do, Onii-chan. The pride of Ratatoskr, Fraxinus's crew, is here to support you with all our strength!" Her voice brimmed with exaggerated grandeur.
She paused dramatically before introducing her team.
"Allow me to present our Love Masters!"
The lights dimmed slightly, and Kotori activated the spotlight features, one by one.
"With five marriages and five divorces under his belt… the Love Master himself! 'Bad Marriage' Kawagoe!"
Kawagoe struck a cool pose, winking and sending a flying kiss toward the camera.
"Ooh, Love."
"Extremely popular with the Women of the Night… 'CEO' Mikimoto!"
Mikimoto raised a crystal glass of wine, a charming yet ridiculous smile on his face.
"Mahal kita."
He murmured in Tagalog, sipping his drink like a movie villain.
"Misfortune befalls her rivals in love… the infamous 2 A.M. woman! 'Nail Knocker' Shiizaki!"
Shiizaki stepped forward, a cursed doll in hand as she flashed one eerie eye toward the camera.
"The man with a hundred women… Dimension Breaker' Nakatsugawa!"
Nakatsugawa dramatically slicked back his hair and held his glasses aloft, declaring in a low, velvety voice. "Mm, Revolution!"
"And finally! A woman who loves so deeply, she's been forbidden by law to see her beloved… 'Deep Love' Minowa!"
Minowa froze on the spot, visibly startled by the over-the-top introduction. "Huh?" she squeaked, looking as though she'd stumbled into the wrong room.
As Kotori wrapped up her introductions, Shido, who had reached the school's stairway, nearly tripped over himself. His balance wavered as he instinctively pressed his hand to his temple.
"I suddenly feel like going home…" he muttered under his breath, utterly dumbfounded.
Reine's calm voice drifted through the earpiece, a reassuring balm amidst Kotori's dramatics. "Don't worry, Shin. Everyone is very good at what they do."
Shido heaved a sigh, thankful for at least one normal person aboard the ship. "I'll take your word for it." he mumbled as he continued climbing the stairs.
Kotori's voice persisted over the earpiece as Shido climbed the stairs toward the Princess's location.
"There are other troops behind the scenes as well." she added casually. "It'll be fine. Even if you die once, you can start the new game right away."
"Don't say it like I'm really going to die!" Shido shot back, exasperated.
Kotori chuckled lightly.
"Well, I believe in your ability, so I'm leaving the Spirit to you."
With a resigned sigh, Shido pressed onward until he arrived at the room where Princess was.
He peeked inside and saw a lonely figure illuminated by the warm glow of the setting sun.
Her silhouette radiated a kind of melancholy beauty that tugged at his heart.
For a moment, he hesitated, captivated by her figure in the fading light, but Shido still activated his scan ability to inspect her status.
This was the first time he used his scan ability on Tohka since he was both mesmerized and stunned of her appearance with they first met, not because he forgot.
Yet, what he Shido saw was such an astonishing display. Though he'd previously used the scan on Reine in her Spirit Form, only to find himself unable to view her stats due to her immense level or on normal people who had normal stats.
Tohka's stats shattered any expectations he had. Even Origami, who had an impressive level for a human, paled in comparison.
Name: Yatogami Tohka
Level: 78
Age: 16
Race: Spirit
Height: 155 cm
Measurements (B/W/H): 84/58/83.
Class: Sword Princess
STR: 691
VIT: 676
AGI: 402
INT: 511
CHA: 164
LUK: 47
Threat Level: AAA
Affiliation: None
The absurd numbers from Tohka's stats made Shido's breath hitch. Her raw power was overwhelming, dwarfing anything he had previously encountered.
While he knew Reine's stats were likely beyond reason, the fact that his scan couldn't even interpret them still left a veil of mystery. But right now, Tohka's strength was displayed clearly, and it was nothing short of astonishing.
He gulped involuntarily, realizing that Tohka wasn't just strong, she was a titan of unimaginable power.
Even with his awe swirling in his mind, Shido exhaled to steady himself. 'No time to freeze up now.' he told himself. It was time to face her.
After steeling his nerves, Shido stepped through the doorway with careful determination.
"Hello, sorry for interrupting your peace." he said as gently as he could.
Princess which is Tohka turned at the sound of his voice.
Her violet armor glinted in the fading light, and her gaze narrowed at the intruder.
Raising her hand, she prepared to launch an attack, but Shido quickly spoke again.
"I didn't come here with hostility." he said, keeping his tone even and calm.
"I just want to talk to you."
Tohka hesitated. Her emotions, which he could sense through Observation Haki, seemed to shift ever so slightly.
Encouraged by this, Shido pressed on.
"My name is Itsuka Shido. I'm a student at this school."
Her raised hand slowly lowered, though her caution remained. The sadness in her expression, however was unmistakably still present.
"I will not hurt you. Not all humans are trying to kill you." Shido said earnestly.
Tohka's reply was sharp and laden with pain.
"You're lying! Every human I've met said that I must die."
"That's not true." Shido replied with sincerity, meeting her wary gaze with unshaken patience.
Tohka blinked, startled by the warmth in his eyes. It stirred something in her chest, a feeling she couldn't understand. Clutching her chest instinctively, she muttered, "This feeling again…"
Shaking her head, she quickly refocused on him, her tone guarded.
"If you really have no intention of killing me, then why are you here?"
Shido took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening. "I... want you to be my family."
Tohka's amethyst eyes widened in surprise. "Family?" she echoed, confusion evident in her voice. Yet, somewhere deep inside, the word didn't feel unpleasant.
"Yes, a family." Shido continued. "Unlike those who hunt you, a family is something that gives you warmth and a sense of belonging. I want you to know... No matter who you are or how much the world hates you, I won't deny your existence."
Tohka's breath stopped, as if the words had struck her heart. She turned away from him, her back now facing Shido. "You said your name is Shido?" she asked hesitantly. "You... really won't deny my existence?"
"I won't." Shido answered firmly.
"Really, truly?" she pressed, her voice almost childlike.
"Really, truly."
"Really, really, truly?" she questioned again, spinning to scrutinize his expression.
Shido nodded with unwavering determination. "Really, really, truly."
Tohka stared at him for a long moment before suddenly scratching her head in frustration. With an exaggerated huff, she crossed her arms and pouted.
"Hmph! Who do you think will be tricked by that?"
"Idiot! Moron!"
Shido blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanor.
"But…" she murmured, her gaze softening. "I don't know what your real intentions are, but you're the first human to talk to me like this. Maybe…" Her voice trailed off as she nodded as if trying to convince herself that that was actually her intention.
"I'll use this chance to gather information about this world."
"That's important."
"Information is very important!"
Shido couldn't suppress a small chuckle at her silly reasoning.
"Thanks. What about you? What's your name?" he asked.
Tohka tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"A name? I don't have anything like that."
Shido felt a twinge of sadness for her but noticed the slight thawing in her attitude toward him.
Tohka shrugged lightly and continued, "But I suppose I'll need a name if we're going to talk. Shido, what do you want to call me?" She gave him a faint smile, one that felt almost vulnerable despite her guarded posture.
...
Meanwhile, back aboard the Fraxinus, the crew stared in astonishment at the screen showing Shido and Tohka.
"Unbelievable…" Kannazuki muttered, slack-jawed. "Is playing dating sims for a week all it takes to become this skilled?"
Reine sighed as she watched the interaction. "Dangerous… But strangely, not in a bad way."
The one with the most shocked reaction came from Kotori.
"Amazing… As expected of my brother!"
Despite her excitement, a part of her couldn't believe how effortlessly Shido was breaking through to the Spirit's defense.
Realizing Tohka needed a name, Kotori sprang into action. "All crew members, think of a name now!" she commanded.
Noticing the insufficient response, Reine chimed in. "There aren't enough choices.
"We'll have to call in the troops around the world."
"Looks like it." Kotori agreed as she typed commands into her screen.
At the Evacuation Shelter, Tonomachi sipped a juice he'd bought from a vending machine when his phone buzzed with a message. Opening it, he stared at an image of a gacha girl bowing with a caption: "Please give me a new name."
"It's her?"
Tonomachi chuckled, his laughter unnervingly eager. "Is it okay for me to have that responsibility?" He began typing feverishly.
Across the shelter, Ai, Mai, and Mii noticed Tonomachi's strange behavior.
"Isn't that Tonomachi?" Ai said, pointing.
"Maybe he's texting a love confession to Itsuka!" Mai guessed, striking a dramatic pose.
Mii delivered her signature line looking at Tonomachi as if he was a creep. "That's so lame."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein